Walkabout_C'est tout! .......... for now :-)

My years walkabout finishes today,

After;

• Walking over 1,600km across Spain, UK, Iceland, France, Italy, Switzerland and New Zealand
• Sailing 100nm on a hired yacht up the Croatian Coast
• Cruising 3,207 nm to the top of Norway and back
• Backpacking in Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Scotland, UK, NZ, Iceland and Spain
• Riding my motorcycle over 26,000km around Australia

I'm not tired, not one little bit. I have however, made millions of great memories, lost a bit of weight,  enjoyed my own company and that of others.

I did not have any epiphanies, but did make some personal observations as follows

1. One thing that became abundantly clear to me though was that one can accomplish and awful lot for not much money when your not working 5 days a week to earn the money you think you need to support a lifestyle that you think makes you happy but ultimately doesn't and that's even if you like your job.
2. Ultimately the concept of "career" is not a substitute for life.  Its a mechanism of business/society to extract the most work for the least money by fucking with your perception of self and societal worth. Its just making me think positively about devoting most of my time to something I probably wouldn't do if you didn't have to.

Its my job (if you like) is to address these some how get some balance. Work less and live more. My current (ie the average person in Aus) situation of working 100-200 hrs for one day off that I'm too stressed to enjoy is very unhealthy and ultimately unsustainable.

I'm not sure how I'll cope with a return to mainstream, but here goes.

Gippsland last fling

With return to work looming ominously next week I headed out to my mate Theo's in Gippsland for one last fling and taste of freedom. I rode out Friday lunch time to arrive in time for the usual hospitality including inspecting and playing Theos new guitar purchases, a cigar, a Guinness and great Meal.

Next Morning we set off for Wilsons Prom in largely fine but variable weather conditions. The Strong wind made some parts interesting for the wrong reasons but on the whole the ride was fast and fun.

We reached Tidal River around lunch. After a walk on the beach, sweating in our motorcycle gear in the now briliant sunshine, we procured a coffee and viddles. We returned via Foster and Yarram with the final squirt through Tarra Bulga and over Mt Tassie. As has become customary Theo, Rosa and I e finished the day with some great food at the local Indian restaurant.

Sunday at about mid day I pointed the Beemer toward home. Work tomorrow :-(